Epilogue
Mary
Six months later. A fancy brownstone townhouse in Manhattan’s Upper East Side
I squealed as the world fell away and I was suddenly lighter than air. ‘Cam, what are you doing?’
He looked at me in his arms like I was being stupid. ‘I’m carrying you over the threshold – what does it look like?’
I rolled my eyes, but secretly I was delighted. ‘I’ve been here loads of times and managed to walk myself over the threshold.’
‘Yes, but you haven’t seen it since it was finally finished.’
My heart thumped. Once Cam and I had agreed to give this a go, he’d bought the house and insisted on me having a say in the decor.
He’d just collected me from the airport.
This was the last time I’d be commuting from Dublin, which I’d been doing for the last six months as I’d worked out my notice and taken the redundancy.
I’d been accepted as a mature student onto a university course here in Manhattan. English and theatre studies. I was terrified, but so excited.
And, Johnny and Caitlin and I had all met in Dublin to clear the family home and put it up for sale, which had just closed in the last couple of months. We’d said our goodbyes to our past and there had been a lot of healing and letting go.
And now I was here and ready to start my new future. ‘OK, then, if you insist.’
Cam grinned. ‘I insist.’ He opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
He put me down gently and I wandered around taking it all in.
All the rooms were furnished with comfortable, tactile furniture.
Luxurious curtains. Soft carpets. Books on shelves.
Art on the walls. We’d had a particularly enjoyable – sexy – visit to Paris to buy some art.
Some of our family things were being shipped over, and Johnny, Caitie and I would divvy up what we wanted.
The house was bright and welcoming, and effortlessly elegant without being intimidating. Down in the kitchen, the floor was slate. Cam had commissioned Johnny to do the units and I ran my hand over the gorgeous oak countertop that would age and weather beautifully over time.
I’d been so touched by Cam including Johnny. They’d become close friends.
Autumn was here but it was mild and the bifold doors were open out into the garden. I spotted a table in the kitchen near the doors with an ice bucket and a champagne bottle sticking out. Two glasses.
Cam went over and pulled the bottle out, uncorking it easily. He poured the sparkling wine into the glasses and handed me one. ‘Welcome home.’
Home. This really was home. No. He was home. Emotionally I said what I was thinking, waving at the house and garden around us. ‘This is all amazing, but you’re my home, Cam. If we had none of this but each other, we’d be OK.’
He pulled me close and kissed me. The spark was still there, as strong as ever. Burning bright and fierce. ‘You’re my home, Mary. You’ve given me everything I ever dreamed of.’
I knew Cam was still a little terrified of having a family, but we’d been talking about it more and more, and I’d met Dean, his mentor and father figure.
I’d also been really involved in helping with Cam’s charity.
He was finally seeing that he was creating family around him all the time without even noticing it.
I couldn’t wait to see Cam become a dad, because Dean and I knew he’d be amazing. But we were in no rush – we were enjoying ourselves and our lives, and our freedom. And I knew now that having my own kids would be very different to what I’d had to take on with Johnny and Caitie.
‘Drink up,’ he said.
‘Are you trying to get me drunk?’
‘Absolutely.’
I took a sip and as I did, something sparkled in the glass and I looked down. I frowned. And then I realised what it was and my legs went wobbly. Diamond and gold. I reached in and plucked it out. A gorgeous solitaire diamond on a gold band studded with smaller diamonds.
As I stood there in shock, Cam took my glass and put it down. He took the ring and went down on one knee in front of me, and held my hand. It hit me what was happening. I felt a rush of emotion and put my other hand up to my mouth.
He looked nervous – I felt his hand trembling a little.
‘Mary Ryan, from the moment I saw you come into that bar, I wanted you, and I wanted to know you. I am so grateful you accepted that glass of wine ... I adore you. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to watch you flourish and grow, and do all the things that make your heart sing.’
I couldn’t stop the tears now. I was sniffing and blubbing.
He squeezed my hand. ‘Will you, Mary Ryan, please marry me and make me the happiest man on the planet?’
I took a mental screenshot of the moment, and then I came down to Cam’s level and threw my arms around his neck. ‘Yes, yes, yes, please, yes.’
We were on the beautiful slate floor, me on top of him, both of us crying and grinning, when someone cleared their throat from somewhere nearby.
I looked up to see six faces looking at us.
Smiles and tears. Six faces. I mentally counted everyone I knew and loved here.
Johnny, Caitlin, Liam, Ashling, Candy (who had become as close to us as she was to everyone else, on her very boundaried terms) and ... I squealed. ‘Dee!’
Somehow Cam managed to get up and pull me up with him. I put my hands to my mouth as I realised the enormity of everyone being here. More tears. And then I was enveloped in their arms. Johnny’s eyes were bright. ‘I’m so happy for you, sis.’
Caitie was sobbing. ‘Maro, I’m so happy for you ... you deserve this so much and I’m so glad you’re living here now.’ I hugged her tightly. I still thought of her as my baby.
There was another ahem from behind me and I extricated myself to see Cam smiling and holding the ring.
‘The ring!’
I put out my hand and he slid the ring onto my finger where it sat snugly. I reached up and wound my arms around his neck and we kissed for a long moment, until someone – Candy – said, ‘OK, guys, time out. I turn into a pumpkin if I see too much straight kissing.’
We laughed into each other’s mouths and pulled back. I looked at the ring. ‘It’s perfect – how did you …’ Something occurred to me and I looked at Dee, who looked smug.
‘The man had the good sense to check with your bestie,’ she said.
I hugged Dee over her growing bump. She was five months pregnant with baby number three. And Ashling was now eight months pregnant with Johnny clucking over her like a mother hen. Ashling – who I adored too – joined in the baby-bump group hug.
On a previous visit, she and Dee had already met and Dee had been formally instated as Mother Birthing Guru. Although, if I knew Dee, she’d probably terrorised poor Ash with gruesome birth tales. But it didn’t seem to have put Ash off.
And Liam and Caitie had their arms around each other and were as loved-up as ever. It was only a matter of time before he asked her to marry him or they joined Ashling and Johnny in the baby stakes.
And then Candy, who could always be counted on to get things moving said, ‘OK, I’m hungry. Let’s get this party started. Plenty of non-alcoholic options for guests who are preggers. I mean, I’m not sure how down I am with kids coming on the scene, but I guess it’s out of my hands.’
Caitie laughed and gave Candy a quick hug. ‘You know you’re going to be the best aunt out of all of us.’
‘Eww,’ said Candy. ‘But I guess someone has to teach them how to be badasses.’
And then I watched as all the people I loved best in the world settled around the beautiful redwood dining table crafted by Johnny. Cam slid his arms around me from behind and whispered in my ear. ‘Does this mean there are strings now?’
I turned around and looked up at him, emotion making my voice husky. ‘So many strings. I love you, Cam.’
We kissed again, at least until Candy complained she would turn to stone, then we sat down and joined our family and friends at the table.
The End